Steve Francis
With the 2013 football season officially behind us, I thought that I would take this time to reflect back over the season at some of the great games. These games could be great as a whole, or it could be one performance that made the game great. The following are my top 5 games of the year:
Stanford was just a little too much.
5. Stanford
While I know a lot of you will turn up your nose at this pick, I have a reason why this game is in my top five. Obviously the game itself was not great, and was one of the worst games I have ever had to sit through — the first three quarters were nearly unbearable to watch. While the Ducks made a great attempt at a comeback in the fourth, it was too little, too late for Oregon. However, I think this was a big wake-up call losing to Stanford two years in a row. I think this game will give the players enough of a dirty taste in their mouths to not let it happen again next year. Also, I think Mariota will have some unfinished business next time around.
Dior Mathis
4. Utah
This game was great for one simple reason. We could forget about Stanford – at least for a while. For me personally, this also meant that I could commence reading sports articles without having to hear about how Oregon can’t play against a physical team. Too bad Utah didn’t get to experience Mariota at 100%. Also, the Utes were able to avoid Oregon for their first two years in the Pac-12. They were due for a beat down.
DAT speeds to the end zone.
3. Tennessee
This game is number three on my list, and I bet you can guess why. Any time Oregon gets the chance to play an SEC team, no matter how good the team, it is always great to smear their faces into the turf. I give Tennessee credit for being one of the few SEC teams to actually schedule some quality nonconference road games. Unfortunately for them, it’s Oregon that took their anger out on the Vols.
2. Washington
This one should be pretty obvious – going into Washington’s house and stomping them once again. For an Oregon fan, it doesn’t get much better than that. Add to the fact that this was supposed to be Oregon’s first “big” test, just made it that much sweeter. This was also one of Mariota’s best games of the season. He went 24/31 for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns. Mariota also added 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground, proving his Heisman candidacy was legitimate.
Great way for Josh Huff to go out!
1. Oregon State
The Civil War ranks as number one on my list for various reasons. The first is beating the Beavers – that is always first and foremost. It was nice for the Ducks to end the season on a high note heading into bowl season. It was also nice to have a win get my mind off of the abomination that was the Arizona game. The biggest reason why this game is number one for me is Josh Huff – what an excellent way to end a career at Oregon. Huff had career highs in receptions (nine) and yards (186) while adding three touchdowns. This game also pushed Huff over the 1,000 yard mark for the year, which is royalty for an Oregon receiver. Hopefully this performance will lure more NFL teams into taking a longer look at him.
With this off my chest, I can now look forward to whatever bowl matchup Oregon gets. What were some of your favorite games, or better yet, performances? Example: Johnny Mundt introducing himself to the nation.
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Sam was born and raised in Cottage Grove, Oregon and he has been a die hard Duck fan his entire life. Sam studied at the University of Oregon before moving to San Diego for 5 years. After moving back to Oregon, Sam decided to follow his passion for writing and started writing for various sports sites. To him, nothing is better than being in Autzen Stadium with 59,000 fans screaming their heads off!